Officials in Malawi apparently claimed that Madonna asked them to select a group of children from local orphanages, from which she chose one for adoption. Spokeswoman Adrina Michiela said: "She asked us to identify boys only, which we have done after visiting four orphanages in Lilongwe."

"I can confirm Madonna is in Malawi on a private visit. She is building an orphanage and child care center and is involved in other initiatives geared toward helping children orphaned by AIDS through the Raising Malawi organization. She has not adopted a baby despite reports that she has. She's kind of adopting an entire country of children"

I found this interesting because my sister has been living in Malawi for the past four years and has yet to generate international headlines on account of it. She's been helping design public health campaigns there. Last week she even adopted a genuine Malawi puppy. But not a whisper from the media. I'm planning to visit her there sometime next year. It will be my first trip to Africa. Unfortunately Lake Malawi doesn't have a resident monster, so I can't claim the trip as a tax write-off, the way I did my trip to Loch Ness.

Update: You could get whiplash trying to follow this Madonna adoption story. Now the word is that she really has adopted a baby in Malawi.

Nigeria is pretty far from Malawi, but I guess it's sort of on the way there from the U.S.

Alex, don't you see what Madonna has done for you? Now you CAN get a tax write-off for your plane fare to Malawi, because your trip is now an expedition to investigate the notorious Malawi Madonna Adoption Hoax!
No one could blame you if you take a few days off from trying to get to the bottom of the Madonna story to visit family.

I agree with Big Gary, you def have a legitimate business expense write-off coming. Oh, and while you're there, why not invent a monster for Lake Malawi? Start showing some American green, and I'm sure the locals will be happy to cooperate, with 'stories their forefathers passed down'.

Posted by stork in the spiracles of space on Mon Oct 09, 2006 at 02:28 PM

Maybe she'll bring him back in a sequined manger while riding on her big cross.

Posted by Scot on Tue Oct 10, 2006 at 11:05 AM

Come on Alex, there's heaps of stuff here you can use for a tax write-off!
Aren't you glad you've got us to do all your dodgy thinking for you!

Posted by Nettie in Perth, Western Australia on Wed Oct 11, 2006 at 06:27 AM

He is busy writing off and making a profit out of it.

Posted by Unfairly Balanced in Earth on Wed Oct 11, 2006 at 12:01 PM

There was a short blurb, all of about two sentences, in the paper I take that said some guy in Malawi claimed that Madonna had indeed adopted one of his children. I guess it's easier to focus on one child than it is a whole nation of children. Alex, I commend your sister for doing such great work to help but sometimes it takes a celeb to bring enough attention to an issue for something to get done. That's just human nature I guess. By the way, is it pronounced Mal a wi, Ma la wi, or Mal wi? I have usually, when I hear it at all, have heard the last.

The Nyau society is a secretive group that abducts young boys and indoctrinates them into traditional practices. They would make an excellent investigation -- if you can find them (hint: look near the Zambia/Malawi border).http://www.google.com/search?q=nyau&hl=en&lr;=

LILONGWE, Malawi (AP) - Madonna filed adoption papers at a Malawi court Thursday, and a judge issued an interim order allowing the celebrity couple to go home with a motherless 1-year-old boy...

Not so much a hoax now, is it?

Posted by Stace in US on Thu Oct 12, 2006 at 10:21 AM

Looks like you beat me to it Stace, this is also on the BBC here:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6044744.stm
They had an interview with the father last night here in the UK on Channel 4.
Still can't understand why they're adopting a child that has a father and a grandmother though, rather than one with no parents at all.
I guess you could say that this is a real adoption, but a fake orphan.

Posted by Nemo on Thu Oct 12, 2006 at 12:25 PM

She probably has adopted a baby,I never doubted it.She has obviously been trying any and every fertility treatment there is for the past years if you are to believe various e-zines and magazines...so why is it so unbelievable?She is after all nearly 50 and pretty desperate for another child+she has tons of money.I would be more inclined to belive it to be a hoax if someone claimed she was pregnant...
However,it

Posted by nitedrive in sweden on Fri Oct 13, 2006 at 01:59 PM
Commenting is no longer available in this channel entry.